Home » Top Ten » Top 10 Greatest Australian Athletes of All Time

Top 10 Greatest Australian Athletes of All Time

Last Updated on May 26, 2023

top 10 greatest Australian athletes of all time

Listing the ten greatest athletes out of a number of extraordinary individuals was a very tough job for us. Australians have been remarkable in every sport in which they competed.

In this list below we have ten of the greatest Australian Ahtletes of all time. They are from different sports where they left an indelible mark of greatness. We composed this list after doing a survey but keeping in mind the records and history of the listed athletes.

1. Don Bradman

No one could give a valid reason why Don Bradman shouldn’t be at the top of the list. The greatest cricketer in history occupies the first space on the list. He is no doubt one of the greatest athletes in the world.

The test batting average of 99.94 made him immortal in the world of sports. His contributions and achievements are not limited. He earned the title of ”Sir” because of his incredible contributions.

2. Margaret Court

The former world’s number one tennis player Margaret Court is voted for number two on the list. She is considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time.

Margaret Court started her professional career in 1960 and continued her successful career for almost 17 years. Her 64 major titles are the most in tennis history.

3. Herb Elliott

Herb Elliott is a former Australian athlete who is considered one of the greatest middle-distance runners. He never lost a mile run, this is his unique record.

After the 1960 Olympics, Elliott got retirement from athletics. He was just 22 when he retired but in this short career, he decorated his career with wonderful records. He made his career in business after the retirement.

4. Dawn Fraser

How can we ignore the great freestyle champion swimmer while listing the greatest Australian athletes of all time? She is a name of greatness in Australian athletics history.

Dawn Fraser is one of the only four swimmers who won the same Olympic event three times. She won eight Olympic medals including four gold medals.

5. Rod Laver

Former tennis player Rod Laver is considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. He was ranked the world’s number 1 in 1964. His achievement as a tennis player is incredible. He won 198 singles titles which is the most in tennis history.

Having 10+ titles per year is not an easy job for a tennis player, in Rod Laver’s case he won 10 or more titles in a year for seven consecutive years.

6. Heather McKay

Former squash player Heather McKay is considered the greatest female player in the game’s history. She is listed at the top of the list of the greatest Australian female athletes by many reputed sports websites.

By winning 16 consecutive British Open, she made a wonderful history that made her immortal in the history of Squash.

7. Lauren Jackson

The Australian professional basketball player Lauren Jackson is considered one of the greatest female basketball players Australia ever produced. She made her u-20 debut when she was only 14.

Lauren Jackson was drafted into the WNBA in 2001. With a listed height of 6ft 5 inches, Jackson is one of the tallest WNBA players.

8. Shane Warne

Shane Warne was a great Australian cricketer who is considered one of the greatest spin bowlers in cricket history. Warne made 145 test appearances and got 708 wickets which is a challenging record for bowlers all over the world.

Shane Warne introduced revolutionary spin bowling in cricket where he bowled some unique deliveries. He retired from professional cricket in 2007 after a glorified career.

9. Steve Smith

Cricket is one of the most popular and most played sports in Australia. This can be a reason for seeing the third cricketer among the greatest Australian athletes of all time.

Steve Smith is one of the greatest cricket players in the world. He captained the Australian cricket team and was compared with the great Sir Don Bradman by the cricket legends.

10. Gary Ablett Jr

Gary Ablett Jr is a former Australian rule footballer who is considered one of the all-time great midfielders. He was drafted into the AFL in 2001.

Ablett Jr got votes for number 10 on our list of the ten greatest Australian athletes in history.

If you think there should be some other names on the list, please let us know.

Leave a Comment